掐起left-hand pull-off to a stopped note

Pinyin: qiā qǐ

Left hand, sliding

Also written: 搯起, 掐

The ring finger stops the lower position while the thumb, above it, hooks the string with its nail, sounding the note at the ring finger.

掐起qiā qǐ

Type: Left hand, sliding
Also written: 搯起, 掐

Typing it in the editor

In the editor’s text input, type the form below and press Enter to insert it:

名十掐起

Write the ring finger's hui before 掐起 (e.g. 名十掐起) so the editor records the pitch at the ring finger. Typing 掐起 alone borrows the pitch of the previous note or the open string, which is not the traditional usage.

Try it in the editor

Example

The thumb stops string four at the ninth hui for gou (d); the ring finger presses at the tenth and the thumb hooks the string, sounding c

How it is played

Usually after the thumb has stopped and plucked: the thumb is at a higher position (say the ninth hui), the ring finger presses firmly at the lower one (say the tenth), and the thumb hooks the string inward (toward the player) with the side of its nail, replacing the right-hand pluck. The key is that the ring finger must press firmly first and the thumb must hook the instant it does; late, the note is dull. The thumb should lift off the string as it hooks, not drag the string down, to avoid noise. When the thumb starts higher and skips a position as it hooks, it is a “skipped qia”.

How it sounds

The stopped note at the ring finger's position, slightly lighter than a right-hand pluck, with a little of the nail's crispness.

In the classical handbooks

名指按位，大指於按處之上，用甲爪絃得聲，以代右手彈絃曰搯起。

Gist: The ring finger stops the position and the thumb, above the stopping place, claws the string with its nail to sound it in place of the right hand's pluck: this is qia qi.

Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies) · 卷上·左指按法字母 · Qing dynasty, 1864 · View the original page · View source

搯法取聲雖屬大指，而得音之處則在名指按得堅實，始能爪得有聲，否則響不能清，此其秘訣也。

Gist: Although the sound of qia belongs to the thumb, the note is obtained where the ring finger presses; only when it presses firmly can the claw sound. Otherwise the sound will not be clear. This is the secret.

Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies) · 卷上·左指按法字母 · Qing dynasty, 1864 · View the original page · View source

須乘名指一按著絃即撥，若俟按後再撥則遲滯矣。

Gist: Pluck the instant the ring finger lands on the string; wait until after it has pressed and the note is sluggish.

Qinxue Rumen (Introduction to Qin Studies) · 卷上·左按图说（左手大指搯、名指按弦势） · Qing dynasty, 1864 · View the original page · View source

Easily confused with

对起duì qǐ· qia qi after a plucked noteDui qi is the same motion as qia qi; the dividing line is whether the right hand plucked first, and sources disagree. See dui qi.
带起dài qǐ· ring-finger pull-off to the open stringQia qi gives the stopped note at the ring finger; dai qi and zhua qi give the open string.

How it is played

How it sounds

In the classical handbooks

Easily confused with

References